Big hairy social issues and other stuff

The ‘a’ Word

The ‘a’ word- it’s been used on me about me without me but never by me for me.

Most people can’t pronounce the word, spell the word – even spellcheck doesn’t know how to spell the word. Siri repeatedly says “I am not sure I understand” when I ask. An almost satirical response – don’t you think?

It’s not a dirty word or is it? it depends on who’s using it and why.

The ‘a’ word is our scarlet letter it is our brand that we didn’t ask for – that we don’t want.

People say it means you have no insight no understanding but in fact you may have the most insight and most understanding of all. Perhaps what they mean is you don’t have the insight on the thing they want you to have insight about.

The ‘a’ word is powerful but it shouldn’t have that much power -it’s too powerful – once used, it cannot be undone, erased or forgotten.

The power of the word divides us

The power of the word stops us from talking, being curious, connecting and maybe even loving.

The word is dropped like a gauntlet when things get tough when people are afraid when people don’t know what to do and when people want to help yet find they are powerless. Their powerlessness becomes the catalyst to use the ‘a’ word that disempowers us – all of us.

The ‘a’ word protects people in protecting us – it’s a unintentional twisted love that needs to be untwisted.

People may use the word because there is no other word to use that captures their fears, grief, hopelessness, helplessness and love – agape love, familial love and sheer “I love you” love.

We are after all human. Humans have to have and find reasons for why- when none exist so many things happen – fear, grief, helplessness and we get twisted up inside and out

and then-

the “a” word is used in all it’s gnosis to capture the complexity of the experience.

and then-

It’s hard to unpack all of that so that those of us on the receiving end of the ‘a’ word don’t get unintentionally hurt–

as we are feeling all those things too

and then-

The ‘a’ word gains its power like a lightening bolt by coming between the connections and relationships that we also so desperately want and need

Do you know what the word is?

No matter if you do or you don’t because I hope we can now start anew:The new ‘a’ word is ‘aware’ to let us know when we are

able,

aspirational and

amazingly awesomely ass-kicking in achieving those aspirations

Can we work towards using these ‘a’ words to twist our love in the direction of connections, relationship and achieving our full potentials by focusing on our aspirations?